Insulating container made from rectangular panels of compressible material strapped together

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is a sealed container formed from six rectangular foam insulating panels. The edges of two of the panels forming opposing sides are positioned to face the inner sides of the panels forming the two other opposing sides. The upper side of the bottom panel of the container is positioned to face the lower edges of all the sides. The sides are then strapped together under tension (one or more straps around the outer side of the sides; and, one strap around the edges of each of the two of the opposing sides and the lower surface of the bottom panel, to hold the bottom panel in place). The compressibility of the foam allows the panel edges to compress into the area of the panel sides contacted, thereby bonding the structure firmly together. The cargo is placed inside the container, atop the panel forming the bottom. Alternatively, the bottom panel is not strapped, but the container is placed inside a box, and sealing the box holds the bottom (and top) panels in place. A top panel for the container is positioned in the appropriate place relative to the edges of the side panels, and then fixed into place, optionally with strapping, or otherwise. Generally, the container is placed inside a corrugated box for shipment of cargo.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The disclosure relates to insulated shipping containers.

BACKGROUND

In the pharmaceutical, transplant and food industries, insulated containers are widely used to maintain the temperature of shipped materials near refrigeration levels, thereby promoting preservation of the material. Such containers can be made from a number of materials including expanded polystyrene (EPS), extruded polystyrene (XPS), Urethane foam, vacuum insulated panels (VIP) or other insulating materials. Often, for shipment, such containers are placed inside a corrugated box, which is then sealed with tape or banding.

Generally, insulated containers are sold fully assembled. A disadvantage of an assembled foam container is that the foam is fragile and easily fractures, unless precautions are followed during shipping to the customer. Rather than incurring additional expenses involved with pre-assembled containers, it is possible for a customer to purchase panels and self-assemble them. Shipping of panels avoids shipping a fully-assembled, fragile foam container and provides the additional advantage of saving space during shipping. However, it is not clear how to readily form a functional foam container from a series of panels, as such containers are generally molded by the manufacturer, or formed from bonded panels, to provide proper insulation by avoiding lack of hermetic sealing at the edges. Panels could be shipped and bonded, but bonding is difficult and time-consuming for the customer. An easy-to-assemble container made from panels of foam would be useful.

SUMMARY

Disclosed is a sealed container formed from six rectangular (or square) foam insulating panels. The edges of two of the panels forming opposing sides are positioned to face the inner sides of the panels forming the two other opposing sides. Generally, the four sides are strapped, under tension, first, for example, with one strap, or preferably with two or more spaced-apart straps that surround the sides. The bottom panel can then strapped to the sides, using one strap (or possibly more) around the edges of each of the two of the opposing sides and the lower surface of the bottom panel, to hold the bottom panel in place. After the cargo is added, the top panel can be held in place using one or more straps around the outer sides of the top and bottom panels, or attached by other means. Strapping can be done if the customer/shipper adding the cargo has strapping equipment on-site.

The compressibility of the foam material allows the panel edges to compress into the area of the panel sides contacted, thereby bonding the structure firmly together, as the straps are tensioned with a conventional strapping apparatus. Generally, the container is placed inside a corrugated box for shipment of cargo.

Instead of strapping the top and bottom panels to the sides, the side panels can be first strapped as described above, and then placed in position inside in a corrugated box (or other suitable container) which is sized to accommodate the insulated container and which includes a suitable bottom panel inside the box. The top panel is also placed in position atop the edges of the side panels inside the open corrugated box (after adding the cargo). Sealing the box with banded, strapping or tape acts to hold the top and bottom panels in place, and strapping/banding need not be directly applied to those panels. However, it would also be possible to pass one or more bands or straps around the outward facing sides of the panels forming the bottom and the top to provide additional support holding the top and bottom panels in place.

The container formed as described above provides equivalent insulating capacity to conventional foam-based coolers, formed by bonding sides or molding the entire structure. The tension in the strapping/banding (and/or that on the inward sides of the top and bottom panels resulting from sealing the corrugated box), and resulting compression of the foam provides a suitable insulating seal.

The advantages of this structure and assembly method is that it can be assembled (starting from panels) quickly and easily, and requires only a banding machine to do so. Different sized panels can be used to provide containers to house different sized cargo. No custom fixtures, or other modifications to a basic flat foam panel are required to hold the panels in place, and unlike a bonding procedure, there is no waiting for the bonding material to cure. Additionally, the structure can be sold to customers/shippers as a four-sided strapped panel structure, and the customer finishes assembly by adding the bottom and top at the time of shipping material inside the structure.

The container can be made from any of a number of foam materials with suitable insulating properties and compressibility, including EPS, extruded polystyrene (XPS), urethane foam and VIPs. The container can be used for any purpose a conventional foam container is used including, but not limited to, providing protection and insulation during shipping.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an assembled container strapped around the sides only (with the top facing down), and without a top panel in place, and having a cut-away on one side to view the inside.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a container as described herein.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of an assembled container strapped around the sides and the top and bottom, having the top and bottom panels in place.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1, an inverted container 10 having a cargo access opening 12, straps 14 around the sides and various panels 16, 18, 20 and 22, is shown. Straps 15 and 17 pass around the edges of panels 18 and 22, respectively, and around bottom panel 26 (no top panel is in place on container 10). The tension in straps 14 pulls the inward surfaces of sides 16 and 20 against the edges of sides 18 and 22, and due to the compressibility of the foam material the panels are formed from, a groove is thereby formed on these inward surfaces and the structure is held together and the edges of the container are sealed. Similarly, the tension provided by straps 15 and 17 pulls the inner surface of the bottom panel 26 against the edges of the panels 16, 18, 20 and 22. The upper portion of the cargo 13 can be viewed through the cut-away in the side 16.

FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of container 10, with the bottom panel 26, and upper panel 24, shown, along with the manner in which they fit above and below the sides 16, 18, 20 and 22, to provide a stable container. As noted above, the top and bottom need not be strapped to the sides, but rather, after strapping the four sides together, the assembled sides can be placed in a container (such as a corrugated box), and the bottom and top panels placed therein. Sealing the box acts to hold the top and bottom panels in place.

FIG. 3 shows a fully assembled container 10 (not inverted), with top panel 24 in place, and straps 28 and 30 (which were added after a cargo was placed into the container through opening 12, and top panel 24 was put in place). Straps 28 and 30 pass around the outer surfaces of upper panel 26 and bottom panel 24 and hold panel 24 in place. It would be possible to use only one strap or additional straps to hold panel 24 in place. Such straps, together with the pressure on the edges of panels 24 and 26 provided by strap pair 14, and the pressure on bottom panel 24 provided by straps 15 and 17, hold all panels in place.

Accordingly, there is provided a sealed, insulating shipping container which can be quickly and readily assembled from rectangular foam panels with a strapping/banding apparatus, and can be fitted to accommodate various sized cargos depending on the size of the panels used.

In one embodiment, the panels are made of expanded polystyrene. The straps are tensioned with a banding machine to the point the foam is observed to begin to compress. Additional tension may break the panels or damage them. In general, more than one band should be used on the sides, but one may be sufficient for some applications. As noted above, the container is generally placed inside a corrugated box following assembly, for additional support and protection during shipment.

It should be understood that the terms, expressions and features in the drawings shown herein are exemplary only and not limiting, and that the invention scope is defined only in the claims which follow, and includes all equivalents of the subject matter of the claims. 

1. A container formed from six rectangular foam panels which are strapped together comprising: two opposing edges of two of the panels forming opposing sides positioned to contact the inward facing sides of the panels forming the two other opposing sides; inward facing sides of the panels forming the bottom of the container and the panel forming the top of the container positioned to respectively contact the lower and upper edges of the panels forming the sides; at least one strap under tension and positioned around the outer side of the panels forming the sides; and two straps under tension, each surrounding the edges of a respective opposing side and passing around the outward facing side of the panel forming the bottom.
 2. The container of claim 1 further including one or more additional straps under tension positioned around the outer side of the panels forming the sides.
 3. The container of claim 1 wherein the panels are expanded polystyrene (EPS), extruded polystyrene (XPS), Urethane foam, or vacuum insulated panels.
 4. The container of claim 1 further including a cargo inside.
 5. The container of claim 1 wherein said container is placed inside a corrugated box which is then sealed, strapped, banded or taped closed.
 6. The container of claim 1 wherein the panels are square.
 7. The container of claim 1 wherein at least one strap passes around the outward facing sides of the panels forming the bottom and the top.
 8. A container formed from six rectangular foam panels placed inside a box comprising: two opposing edges of two of the panels forming opposing sides positioned to contact the inward facing sides of the panels forming the two other opposing sides; inward facing sides of the panels forming the bottom of the container and the panel forming the top of the container positioned to respectively contact the lower and upper edges of the panels forming the sides; and at least one strap under tension and positioned around the outer side of the panels forming the sides.
 9. The container of claim 8 wherein the box is sealed, banded, strapped or taped closed to hold panels forming the bottom and top of the container in place.
 10. The container of claim 8 wherein at least one strap passes around the outward facing sides of the panels forming the bottom and the top.
 11. The container of claim 8 further including one or more additional straps under tension positioned around the outer side of the panels forming the sides.
 12. The container of claim 8 wherein the panels are expanded polystyrene (EPS), extruded polystyrene (XPS), Urethane foam, or vacuum insulated panels.
 13. The container of claim 8 further including a cargo inside.
 14. The container of claim 8 wherein the panels are square.
 15. The container of claim 8 wherein the box is corrugated cardboard.
 16. A method of assembling a container formed from six rectangular foam panels comprising: providing two panels forming opposing sides wherein two opposing edges are positioned to contact the inward facing sides of panels forming the two other opposing sides; positioning the inward facing sides of the panels provided to form the bottom of the container and the top of the container to respectively contact the lower and upper edges of the panels provided to form the sides; passing at least one strap around the outer side of the panels forming the sides and tensioning said strap; and passing a strap around each of the edges of a respective opposing side and around the outward facing side of the panel forming the bottom and tensioning said straps.
 17. The method of claim 16 further including passing one or more additional straps around the outer side of the panels forming the sides and tensioning said straps.
 18. The method of claim 16 further including passing one or more additional straps around the outer side of the panels forming the top and bottom of the container and tensioning said straps.
 19. The method of claim 16 further including placing a cargo inside before placing the top panel in position.
 20. The method of claim 16 wherein said container formed after the last step is placed inside a corrugated box which is then sealed, strapped, banded or taped closed.
 21. The method of claim 16 further including passing at least one strap around the outward facing sides of the panels forming the bottom and the top and tensioning said strap. 